Safety signal-switch stand.



R. K. REX. SAFETY SIGNAL SWITCH STAND. APPLIOATION I'ILED MAR. 22. 1912.

1,042,969. Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

RALPH K. REX, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SAFETY SIGNAL-SWITCH STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

Application filed March 22, 1912. Serial No. 685,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH K. REX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of -Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Signal-Switch Stands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety signal switch stands inwhich the switch proper is actuated and the signals brought into pro erposition with reference to the position 0 the switch.

The objects of the present invention are first, to provide means wherebythe switch is operated by the horizontal movement of the switchactuating lever and the signals actuated by the vertical movement of theswitch lever, and second, to actuate thesignals after the switch hasbeen properly opened or closed. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is avertical section showing the different parts properly arranged withreference to each other and the switch actuating lever in position toactuate the switch point. Fig. 2 is a view showing a portion of theswitch stand and illustrating the switch lever in its lowered position.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the signal actuating head. Fig. 4 is abottom plan View of the signal actuating head. Fig. 5 is a view showinga portion of the signal actuatm shaft and the sliding sleeve or head anlock disk.- Fig. 6 is a view showing the top or lower end of the signalactuating shaft,

' and the top or upper end of the switch.

point actuating shaft, its head and illustrating the two shaftspivotally connected together.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

I11 the accompanying drawing, 1 represents the switch stand which may beof the ordinary construction reference being had to the properarrangement of the various parts designed to be carried and used in con-'nection wlth the switch stand. The switch stand is supported at oneside of the railway track and is held in fixed positlon in any wellknown manner. Within'the stand head is pivotally attached the switchpoint and signal actuating lever 4: by means of the plates 5, whichplates are located at substantially right angles to the switch actuatinglever 4, said plates being pivotally .connected to the head 8 by meansof the cross pin 6. To the plates 5 are pivot ally connected the links 7which links extend upward and their tops or upper ends plvotallyconnected to the signal actuating head 8 by means of the cross pin orbolt 9. The head 3 located upon the top or upper end of the switchactuating shaft 2 isprovided with a socket 10, which socket is for thepurpose ofjreceiving the journal bearing 11 formed" upon the bottom orlower end of the signal actuating shaft 12."

For the purpose of reducing the friction as between the head 3 and thesignal actuating shaft 12, ball bearings 13 may be provided. When it isdesired to actuate the switch point the lever 4 is moved in a horizontalplane, which movement rocks the switch point actuating shaft 2 and bymeans of the crank 14 located at the bottom or lower end of the switchactuating shaft'2, to which crank is pivotally connected a switchactuating barof the ordinary construction. The bar designed to actuatethe switch point is not illustrated as it forms no specific part of thepresent invention. After the lever 4: has been moved in ahorizontal'plane a suflicient distance to properly set the switch point,said lever is moved downward'in a vertical plane, which downwardmovement carries with it the head 8, said head being slid-ably mountedupon the sleeve 15. As the head 8 is moved down it imparts a rockingmovement to the signal actuating shaft 12 by means of the camslots 16,and the cross pin 17, which cross pin is secured to the signal actuatingshaft 12. The location of the cams 16 and the pins 17 being insuch'relationship witli ref} erence to each other that the cross pin 17will enter the cam slots-16 when the head 8 is brought into positiontobe drawn downward to actuate the signal shaft 12 but the signal shaft12 is not rotated until the switch point has beemp'roperly set so thatin use the wrong signal cannot be given, owing to "the fact that the twomovements of the -known manner the bar or head 18, the ends of which arelocated in the guides or Ways, 19 formed .in the top or upper end of theswitch stand proper and "when the switch lever a is lowered togetherwith the head 8 the sleeve and the cross bar or head 18 are free to fallby gravity sliding downward upon the signal shaft 12 and for the purposeof locking the signal shaft 12 against rotation after it/has beenproperly actuated to set the signal the bottom or lower end of thesleeve 16 is provided with the slots 20 .into which slots the cross pin17 enters, thereby locking the signal shaft 12 against rocking movementby reason ofthe sleeve being locked against rotation by means of thehead orcross bar 18 being seated in the-guide ways 19. When the switchactuating lever 4 is moved upward it carries with it the head 8 which inturn carries the sliding sleeve 15 by reason of the head 8 coming incontact with the underside of the crosshead or bar 8 and for the purposeof locking the signal shaft 12 against rotation after thehead 8 is movedupward the signal shaft 12 is'provided with the cross pin 21, whichcross pin is seated in the proper notches 22 formed in the annularflange 23, which annular flange is preferably formed integral with thehead or cross arm 18.

It will be understood'that by my peculiar 4 arrangement the signal shaft12 is locked against rotation except at such times as it is desired toactuate the signal shaft togive the proper signalj When the lever 4' ismoved in a horizontal direction the first half of this movementcompresses the spring 24 by means of the plunger 25 being actuated ormoved toward the spring by means of the arms 26 which are extended fromthe switch shaft 2,*s ;1id spring being compressed by the inovementofthe switch bar 2 but after the switch bar 4 has been thrown over itscenter the spring 24 will be released and the ten sion stored inthe-spring be exerted to force the plunger toward the switch shaft 2,thereby insuring the full horizontal movement of in removing said lever.The plunger 25 is guided; in the housing 27 one end of said housingconstituting an abutment from-one end of the spring 24.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isi 1, In a switch stand, the combination of aswitch stand, a switch point actuating shaft journaled in the switchstand, an actuating lever pivotally connected to the upper portion ofthe switch point actuating shaft, links pivoted to the actuating leverat points above the pivotal points of said lever, a sliding head locatedabove the switch shaft and the tops or upper ends of the links pivotallyconnected to said-head, a signal shaft adapted to support a signal, saidsignal shaft journaled'in the switch actuating shaft and means forrotating the signal shaft by the downward movement of the head,substantially as and for the purpose specitied.

2. In a switch stand,the combination of a switch stand, a switch pointactuating shaft journaled in the switch stand, an actuating leverpivotally connected to the upper portion of the switch point actuatingshaft, links pivoted'to the actuating lever at points above the pivotalpoints of said lever, a sliding head located above the switch shaft andthe tops or upper ends of the links pivotally connected to said head, asignal shaft adapted to support a signal,said signal shaft journaled inthe switch actuating shaft, means for rotating the signal shaft by thedownward movement of the head, and means for locking the signal shaftagainst rotation, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. Ina switch stand, the combination of a switch stand, a switch pointactuating shaft journaled in the switch stand, an actuating leverpivotally connected to the upper por tion of the switch actuating shaft,links pivoted to the actuating lever, a sliding head, said links pivotedto said sliding head, a signal shaft journaled in the top or upper endof the switch actuating shaft, a sleeve slidably mounted upon the signalshaft, said sleeve provided at its top or upper end with a cross headand recessed flange, and at its bottom or lower end with slots, pinsfixed to the signal shaft, one of said pins adapted for engagement withthe slots at the lower end of the sliding sleeve and the other pin 11oadapted for engagement with the recesses switch stand, a switch pointactuating shaft journaled in the switch stand, an actuating leverpivotally connected to the upper portion of the switch actuating shaft,links pivthe lever t and at the same time assisting ot-ed to theactuating lever, a sliding head, said links pivoted tosaid sliding head,a

signal shaft journaledin the top or upper .end of the switch actuatingshaft, a sleeve located at the top or upper end of the sleeve, andcam-slots located in the head adapted to rock the target shaft,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a switch stand, the combination of a switch stand, a switch pointactuating shaft journaled in the switch stand, an actuating leverpivotally Connected to the upper end of the switch lever actuatingshaft, a signal shaft journaled atits bottom or lower end in the top orupper end of the. switch point actuating shaft, a sliding head and asliding sleeve located upon the signal shaft, links pivot-ally connectedto the actuating lever and the sliding head respectively, pins connectedto the signal shaft, slots and re- Gopies of this patent may be obtainedfor cesses located at the top and bottom ends of the sliding; sleeve,said pins adapted for engagement with the slots and recesses, camslot-slocated in the sliding head adapted to rock the signal head,a springadapted to be presence of two witnesses.

RALPH K.

Witnesses:

H. W. GRANKSHAW, LUCILE PETER.

five cents each, By addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington,D. G.

